Passionate about Japanese prints for a long time, especially those of the 20th century, I discovered kabuki through the prints of Ôta Masamitsu during a dinner at Arendie and Henk Herwig (from the Society for Japanese arts https://www.societyforjapaneseart.org) in the Netherlands. I had never been attracted to theatrical prints before because they seemed almost caricature with the grimaces, the bulging eyes, the outrageous poses. But Arendie and Henk began to explain the codes, reveal the secrets of the costumes and sets, pointing out this or that detail. They showed me several prints from their collection, starting with Ôta Masamitsu and I was struck by the variety and the technical excellence of these prints, by the richness of the costumes and the decorations. It was a real click and I started to enlarge my print collection with kabuki prints from Natori Shunsen (1886-1960), Yamamura Toyonari (1885-1942), Yoshikawa Kanpo (1894-1979), Yamamoto Hisashi (1910-?).... This website is the result of several years of collecting, reading and passion. I hope you will have as much fun browsing it as I have had making it.
Note: The names have been transcribed using the traditional Japanese order, family name first, followed by first name.
List of the plays (in alphabetical order of the titles in Japanese) with the main caracters
Akutaro (Akutaro) Akutaro
Fuji Musume (The Wisteria Maiden) Fuji Musume
Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji) Fujitsubo and Prince Genji
Ichijô Okura monogatari (The Tale of Ichijô Okura) Ichijô Okura and Tokiwa Gozen
Kagami jishi (The Lion dance) Yayoi
Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame (Kagotsurube, the Haunted Sword) Yatsuhachi and Sano Jirozaemon
Kamakura Sandaiki (Chronicle of three generations in Kamakura) Miuranosuke Yoshimura and Princess Toki
Kanadehon Chûshingura (The revenge of 47 ronin) Oboshi Yuranosuke
Kanjincho (The Subscription list) Benkei and Togashi Saemon
Kiyomasa Seichuroku (The loyal Kiyomasa) Kato Kiyomasa
Madame Butterfly (Madame Buttefly) Cio-cio-san and Benjamin Pinkerton
Megumi no kenka (The Fight of the Me-gumi Fire brigade) Tatsugoro
Meiboku Sendai Hagi (The disputed Succession) Masaoka and Nikki Danjô
Momijigari (Admiring the autumn red leaves) Princess Sarashina
Musume Dojoji (The girl at Dojo-ji Temple) Hanako - Fuji Musume
Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami (Summer Festival, Mirror of Osaka) Danshichi Kurobei
Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata (The camp of the Genji Advance Guard at Ômi) Sasaki Moritsuna
Otsuta goroshi (Otsuta's murder) O-Tsuta
Shinjû Ten no Amijima (Love Suicide at Amijima) Kamiya Jihei et Koharu
Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (Sugawara and the secrets of calligraphy) Matsuomaru, Umeomaru and Sakuramaru
Sukeroku Yukari Edo Zakura (Sukeroku flower of Edo) Sukeroku, Agemaki and Ikyu
Suzu-ga-Mori (Suzu-ga-Mori) Shirai Gonpachi et Banzui Chobei
Taki no shiraito (The white thread of the waterfall or The Water Magician) Taki no Shiraito and Mizushima Tomo
Yoshitsune zenbon zakura (Yoshitsune and the thousand cherry trees) Shizuka Gozen and Tadanobu
Introduction to Kabuki (Unesco)